HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.02.25 Board correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - May 2, 2025.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen;
Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth; Loeser, Kamie
Cc:Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Board correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - May 2, 2025
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 8:07:01 AM
Please see Board correspondence -
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, May 2, 2025 4:49 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - May 2, 2025
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Lake Oroville Community Update
May 2, 2025
Clean, Drain, and Dry Your Vessels
With the discovery of the highly invasive golden mussel in California waterways, the
Department of Water Resources (DWR) is developing plans to protect State Water Project
(SWP) infrastructure in Oroville while maintaining recreation opportunities at local
reservoirs. Golden mussels have not been detected at Lake Oroville, the Thermalito
Forebay, or the Thermalito Afterbay, and DWR will be implementing measures to prevent
their introduction.
Golden mussels can alter aquatic ecosystems by filter-feeding on planktonic algae and
changing the habitat structure, which can damage fisheries, impact water delivery systems
by clogging small-diameter pipelines, screens, and filters, and impact recreation by fouling
boat hulls and motors and clogging intakes and cooling lines.
DWR is coordinating with partners at the California Department of Parks and Recreation
(State Parks) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to implement a
watercraft inspection program at Lake Oroville and the surrounding SWP facilities in Butte
County, which is expected to begin later this month. Once the inspection program starts,
watercraft and trailers will need to be mussel free and 100 percent dry to pass an
inspection. This includes, but is not limited to, the live well, ballast tank, bilge, cup holders,
low depressions in the hull, anchor storage area, life jackets, bait buckets, ropes or lines,
or any area in the watercraft or trailer that can hold water.
Mussel inspections at DWR’s Oroville facilities will be free, with more details about
inspection locations, hours of operation, and a future decontamination station to come.
Boats that pass inspection will be permitted to launch and also offered an Oroville reentry
seal upon departure. An intact reentry seal will allow watercraft to bypass the inspection
process on the next visit and launch at any of the three Oroville reservoirs.
When recreating on California’s waterways, always remember to:
Clean off aquatic plants and animal material from your boat, trailer, and
equipment before leaving the ramp or parking lot.
Drain ballast, bilge, live-wells, and other water-containing devices, and never
drain back into the waterway.
Dry equipment, including bilge, ballast tanks, and live well, before launching into
another body of water.
Golden mussels range from ¾ inches to 2 inches in size and have a light to dark
yellowish-brown to brown-colored shell. When golden mussel populations are established,
they are difficult to control since they can become very abundant and are easily spread to
new waterbodies. Mussel larvae, also referred to as veligers, are microscopic and free
floating in infested waters and can be transported in a boat’s live well, ballast tank, or in
the bilge if these areas are not completely drained.
Additional details about golden mussels and an informational video are available on
DWR’s website.
Storage Increasing at Lake Oroville
During the winter and early spring months, flood control releases from Oroville Dam
ensure the safety of the City of Oroville and downstream communities by reserving
storage space to capture high storm inflows while permitting controlled and coordinated
releases from the dam. As the summer months approach and rain and snowstorms driven
by atmospheric rivers wane, DWR transitions from performing flood control releases at
Oroville Dam to conserving as much water in the reservoir as possible, while still meeting
water delivery and environmental requirements.
DWR has decreased total releases from Lake Oroville to account for reduced inflows into
the reservoir while optimizing storage for the benefit of water supply, recreation, and fish
and wildlife enhancement. DWR coordinates releases closely with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and other water operators and adjusts releases as needed to maintain balance
throughout the water system.
Current reservoir levels are as follows, though estimates may change quickly:
Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 891 feet elevation
Current Storage: 96 percent of capacity
Total Releases to the Feather River: 2,300 cubic feet per second
Lake Oroville is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, providing flood
protection while supporting environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million
Californians. Some water released from Lake Oroville is distributed locally for agriculture
benefits, while the remaining Feather River releases flow south through the State Water
Project system to reduce salinity effects in the Delta, provide irrigation for crops in the
Central Valley, and eventually make their way to Southern California. DWR continues to
monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water
storage while allowing for carryover storage into next year.
Summer Hours in Effect for Spillway Day-Use Area
As the summer months approach and daylight hours linger, the Spillway Boat Ramp and
Day Use Area is now open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. All vehicles and trailers are subject to
inspection by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for security purposes. There are five
other boat ramps at Lake Oroville that are open and do not entail CHP inspections:
Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Point, Loafer Creek, Lime Saddle, and Enterprise.
Upcoming Road Closure for Tree Removal
DWR and its partners at the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and Butte County
Sheriff’s Office are closing portions of Canyon Drive for tree and vegetation removal over
the next two weeks. Canyon Drive between the Oro Dam Blvd. E./Royal Oaks Dr.
intersection and Oroville Dam Crest Road will be closed to traffic Tuesday, May 6
through Thursday, May 8 between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The following week, Canyon
Drive will be closed between Oroville Dam Crest Road and Royal Oaks Drive (Upper
Oroville Dam Overlook) Monday, May 12 through Thursday, May 15 between 7 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m. DWR is performing fuel load reduction activities to minimize fire risk in
areas surrounding Lake Oroville. Oroville Dam Crest Road will remain open to visitors
during nearby tree removal work.
DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan is dedicated to reducing wildfire risk, enhancing
public safety, and improving forest health around Lake Oroville. During vegetation
management activities some trails within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area may be
intermittently closed. Trail users should use caution in active work areas and follow all
posted signage.
Vegetation management remains a top priority for DWR and its partners including CAL
FIRE, the Butte County Fire Department, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the CCC, the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the California Department of Parks
and Recreation (State Parks), local tribes, and the Butte County Fire Safe Council.
Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee
The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) met May 2 at the Southside Oroville
Community Center. ORAC was established by the Federal Energy Regulatory
This email was sent to clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net from the California Natural Resources Agency
utilizing govDelivery. California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Commission (FERC) to review and provide recreation plan recommendations for Oroville
Facilities owned by DWR. The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from
state and local government, recreation groups, and business and community
organizations. To obtain a summary of the meeting, send a request to
oroville@water.ca.gov.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 891 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.29 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 96 percent of its total capacity and 120 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 650 cfs through the City of Oroville with 1,650 cfs being
released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River
release of 2,300 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases
daily.
The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data
Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.”
All data as of 11:59 p.m. on 5/1/2025.
California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Call our general information line at 916-820-8142
or email us at oroville@water.ca.gov
Contact Us
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